


Princess of Asgard

by CamelotLady



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-26
Updated: 2012-08-07
Packaged: 2017-11-10 19:31:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/469859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CamelotLady/pseuds/CamelotLady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor calls for Natasha's help to save his brother's life taking her to Asgard. Loki/Natasha</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Princess of Asgard  
> Pairing: Loki/Natasha, Natoki, Blackfrost  
> Disclaimer: not mine, except Domé who will show up in the next chapter

She was supposed to be doing every normal thing a good S.H.I.E.L.D agent did; mission, briefing, another mission, another briefing. It was a normalcy she was so used to so she never complained, it was her lifestyle and she quite like it, it bought a slight sense of normality to life, albeit a weird kind of normality. But of all days, instead of doing what she considered was "normal" she was being convinced to take a trip to another world; Asgard, with the God of Thunder himself.

All eyes were on her; Clint (who did not look amused in the sightless), Bruce, Tony, Steve and the head director Fury. She had to give a quick answer, Thor was apparently in a hurry and the trip was to be taken right this instant.

The silence among the crowd was almost too much to bear and she was so confused by his arrival that the minute he touched the ground her instant thoughts were "Loki, what did you do now?" her thoughts were confirmed when he mentioned saving someone and Loki.

Of course Loki had something to do with all this.

"I know you have seen him, Lady Natasha," Thor stated. Her eyes opened like two sets of plates, the fast thumping of her heart rang in her ear. "I know about your dreams."

"What are you talking about?" she asked though she knew very well what he was saying. She had hoped to at least keep her dreams private. Oh how mistaken she had been.

"The dreams in which you saw my brother's face, in which you felt his heartbeat just as loud as yours…"

"Ok you know what? Stop!" She jumped from her seat, instantly making Thor stop. Her friends stared at her questioningly and she had no explanation for what was happening to her.

Yes, Thor was right. Two weeks ago to exact, her dreams had begun. She would see Loki, imprisoned in Asgard, sometimes he cried, sometimes he was angry, and sometimes he wished for someone, anyone to kill him. Her heart ached, though it shouldn't, because the last thing she should feel for him was pain or sorrow and yet she woke up in the middle of the night with tears running down her cheeks.

"You must come with me to Asgard. You must help me save my brother" Thor begged, the desperation on his voice hit her hard. He has always been the only one to believe there was good in his brother, he had always been the one to help Loki become a better person, and now he was so desperate to save him he had come all the way to Earth to seek for assistance. Why her, she had no idea.

"Why me?" she asked and she was sure it was the question everyone wanted to ask.

"In Asgard, there is a legend that states each individual belongs to someone else, their hearts are bond to become one. If one of them makes a mistake, does something for he deserves to be punished, his soul mate can save him from torture." He walked a little bit closer to her, his eyes watering. "I had been told a soul mate can see each other in their dreams, feel the despair the other feels, like you have with my brother."

"How do you know all this?" she asked because there was no way she could deny it. Thor knew, now everyone else. She was not that good liar.

"I have been told by someone whose name I am not entitled to reveal" he whispered and she wondered if that person had been Loki, if in his moments of desperation had revealed this to Thor in order to be spare from his fate. "Please Lady Natasha, I am begging you. Help me save my brother. I know you believe this is right."

"Wait, can we just wait for a second?" Clint interrupted, our heads snapped towards him as his anger settled in. The last thing he would want is for Loki to be alive and well. "You're saying the psycho killer of your brother can be saved by Natasha because you believe in this fairytale? Seriously?"

"It is not a tale, as you express. It is nothing but the truth" Thor snapped.

"And what makes you believe we will let her go?" Clint spoke again, exchanging a glance towards her. She found herself speechless, much to her surprise, part of heart told her to do this be because it was the right thing to do, to give him a second chance. The other agreed with everything Clint had stated, Loki was a killer, a psycho who was supposed to be dead.

Then again, so was she.

"I think that decision should be mine, don't you think?" she interrupted, their eyes train on her once again.

"Are you out of your mind? The guy tried to kill us all, he destroyed half of the city and should I remind you what he did to Phil?" Clint spoke angrily, Thor flinched with every word he said knowing to everyone his brother did not deserve to be spared but he still had faith in him. "The guy is a psychopath and a monster."

"I've killed people too, remember that? And I was saved for whatever reason. What makes you believe he can't be good like we're now?" she spoke. Thor sighed with relief, glanced gratefully at her.

"You can't just leave like that" Clint told her, looking briefly at his friends for support "help me out here."

"This could be an opportunity to make sure Loki can't and will not harm anyone." Director Fury spoke. Natasha knew by then the last word has been said.

"Are you kidding me?...sir." Clint complained. "What if he kills her? What if this is just a trap to get rid of her?"

"My brother would not do such thing for if she is harm, he will be."

She looks down at her feet, torn between staying and ignoring Thor's begging or following what her heart told her to do. She had never been so conflicted before, ever since Loki had unexpectedly showed up on her dreams she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind. She had first thought it had been nothing but a dream, but now she understood the reasons why this was happening.

Maybe it was fate. Maybe this was some sort of twisted way to help him redeem himself and become a better man.

"I will do it." Natasha spoke, avoiding Clint's look of disappointment and surprise.

"Natasha c'mon…" Clint interrupted, standing in front of her so she was looking directly at his eyes. "This is crazy. You can't just fraternize with the enemy…"

"Thor is not the enemy and I'm doing this for him." she explained. Clint looked down, defeated.

"I am grateful Lady Natasha" Thor vowed once more and held out his hand. "We must leave at once."

"Now? You want us to leave now?" She asked in surprise. She thought she would at least have a few days to adjust herself to the idea of being sent away.

"Yes. The marriage is set upon three days after your arrival."

"Wait, hold up. You said marriage?"

"Of course, you and my brother will be bonded for an eternity"

She shared one last look with everyone, her heart beating faster than ever. She thought about saving Loki would be simple, just speak in his behalf and nothing more. Now bonding her life in a marriage was a bit too much. She couldn't just say no, now that Thor looked so hopeful and happy.

"Fine. I will do it." she whispered, receiving a warm smile from the God.

To be truthful she feared for her fate. Having seen how Loki was really like, a monster like she had called him too back in the day, she was half hoping he could just redeem himself and she could come back to be the same old agent she was now.

She could only hope.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also find this fic at ff.net. My nick is FrancescaBoscorelli.

She didn't get to pack; she didn't have time to do so. She didn't have time to breathe either. In Thor's desperation to get home he had dragged her along, he had pulled her arm and lead her towards the desert, where he had said Hemidall could hear him. She had fight to urge to protest because there was really no point to it. She had let herself be dragged towards it and she waited for what was next to happen.

She felt herself being pulled upward and before she could blink she was standing in front of a warrior. He was dressed in a golden metal suit and held a sword on his hands, his eyes were brown and shiny but he had failed to blink even for a second when he saw her. He was looking at a point behind her and it seemed like it was just her who found it odd because Thor was greeting him. The man moved aside and they walked in, she gave him one last look and followed Thor.

Saying she was taken aback by the beauty of the castle before her was an understatement. Her jaw opened and she found herself saying 'wow' repeatedly. She had been in many wonderful paradises before, with amazing buildings surrounding her, something other people might describe as heaven, but this was entirely different. Heavenly still but she had lost words to describe it the minute she step a foot in it

"Welcome to Asgard." Thor has spoke beside her, with smile of his own. She had just nodded slowly, still taking in the fact that she was in a whole different world, a world only a few people knew about.

"It's…beautiful" breathtaking, gorgeous, wonderful, that was all the words she had in mind at the moment. If she were to describe it, to compare it to something else, she would compare it to the Land of Oz. Except less green but still beautiful enough to belong in a fairytale.

"Please come along. I wish for you to meet the Allfather."

She was once again dragged by Thor, though did time he didn't hold her hand but walked before her. She glanced at the few people inside the castle, who watched her with awe. She was a stranger and they sense it. Besides the fact that her clothes were not proper either, she saw that the woman were wearing long dresses (a bit too shiny for her taste) and she was wearing dark skinny jeans, boots and a leather jacket.

They entered a big room, each step she took echoed against the walls which made her well aware of how empty the room was, even if she had seen different places and met different people the fact that she was about to meet the Allfather made her a little bit edgy.

Thor bowed in front of the throne where an old man sat. She was confused whether she should do the same or not, so she stood there watching the old man before her, motionless and speechless.

"Father, I have come with help." Thor spoke. The old man stared at her for good ten seconds. His expression of curiosity made her shiver.

"Is this her, the one to save my son?" Odin asked. She nodded slowly. "What is your name?"

"Natasha Romanoff…your highness" she hesitated on the last words, unsure of how to approach the man without sounding disrespectful.

"I thank you for being here, Lady Natasha." He spoke "…and for helping my son" she wasn't sure if he was talking about Loki or Thor, the first one not being his real son and all. Maybe to him he will always be so.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if I, being here will be of assistance" Natasha spoke. It was one thing for her to be there, willingly, it was another one if Loki really wanted her help in the first place.

"Trust my word, Lady Natasha. It will be." Odin spoke, sure of himself.

"If you say so…" She whispered.

"I will call a maid to show you your chambers" with a movement of his hand a young woman showed up. She vbwed like Thor had done upon her arrival. "Domé will escort you to your bedchamber. I hope it will comfortable enough for you"

She was surprised how everything had been settled, as if they knew for sure she would agree to come in the first place. How did that happened, she had no idea, but she was sure though Thor had shared his knowledge about her dreams with his father, therefore her help was evident.

The girl bowed before her, she was tempted to say there was no need to do so but she figured it was 'the Asgard' way, so she just smiled at her and followed her out.

* * *

She never noticed how tired she was until the girl had showed her bedroom. She suppressed a yawn when the doors opened before her, the previous tiredness vanished upon seeing the room she was staying in. It was large and spacious. The queen size bed in the middle of the room was gold and purple, incidentally her favorite color, there was also a vase with different kinds of flowers on a night table next to her bed.

She found herself, once again, breath taken by the sight before her. Whoever had decorated this room had done a wonderful job, she already loved it.

"I hope you like the colors, my lady" the girl next to her spoke shyly. She smiled in return.

"I love it. Did you decorate it?"

"Yes. I hope you don't mind. Purple is my favorite color…"

"It's mine too."

She walked towards the bed. Touching the bedspread with her fingertips, it was soft just like she had thought, the feelings of tiredness hit her again as she took a sit on it. But then a hint of curiosity hit her, she had meet two of the important people in Asgard but she had yet to see the person whose reason she was here; Loki.

"Can I ask you a question?" Natasha spoke to the girl, who nodded slowly. "Where's Loki?"

The girl swallowed hard and switched her weight from one foot to the other. She had seen this reaction enough to know she was nervous.

"Prince Loki is…imprisoned my lady," the young woman whispered, looking at her feet. Natasha was confused whether she was frighten at talking about Loki or if she was sad. "he has been since he arrived from your world"

"Oh….and have you seen him?"

"Oh Lord no. We're not allowed to speak to the prisoners, even if he was the Prince of Asgard."

"Do you think they will let me see him?" she asked for no apparent reason she was somehow eager to see him, to see if he had changed a bit since he left or if he was still the same crazy man she had met before.

"I think The King will let you. You are, my lady, after all soon to become Princess of Asgard."

She didn't know whether to be scared to death or be happy. She will, although, have three days to convince herself that everything is actually happening.

**TBC.**


	3. Chapter 3

She had dreamed of Loki again. He was crying and calling her name in despair. Just like the other nights, when he haunted her dreams, she woke up with tears running down her pale cheeks. She looked at her surroundings and it took a good minute to adjust to where she was, until she remembered she was in a different world and the future upon her.

She wondered around the castle the next morning, taking a good look of her surrounding and what it was supposed to be her home for God knows how long, she had failed to ask Thor or anyone what the real plan was, sure saving Loki was the main point but she had no idea what that meant and what it entailed. She was determined to ask more questions.

She had found Thor in the big room (that's how she called the main room, where she had first seen Odin. There was no other word to describe it truth be told) with Odin sitting on his throne. She wondered, for a minute, if he sat there all day waiting for someone to visit.

"Lady Natasha" Thor greeted her with a bow. He did that a lot, she thought, though she didn't mind a little of chivalry.

"I hope you have had a pleasant rest." Odin spoke

"Yes, I had thank you." she omitted the recurring dreams of his son because if she was unable to explain them to herself, she wasn't about to explain them to someone else.

Silence fell among the three and Natasha wondered if she was interrupting some important father-son conversation and briefly wondered if she could slowly walk away from the room. But Odin's eyes trained on her as if he sensed she had a million questions running through her head.

"You have questions?" Odin spoke, his question to which she nodded.

"I…well I know Thor explained to me something about an Asgardian tale, about soul-mates?" she spoke softly "and I was wondering, I know I'm supposed to help Loki and there's a chance I might be his soul mate, if that happens to be true what can I do to help him?"

"That is a fair question, my Lady" Odin spoke again, shifting into a comfortable position in his throne. "I have heard, from my son's own lips that you have sensed him, senses his despair and conflict. This has come to my awareness as part of the soul mate bonding, the first clue to finding one."

The first of her doubts had been answered. Loki himself had been the one telling him this; The Allfather could have chose not to believe him (being the God of Mischief and lies) but perhaps sending Thor to Earth had erased all of his doubts.

"You being here mean that the words my brother spoke was true." Thor interfered

"And the soul mate bonding ritual is to be preformed…" Odin concluded.

"Ritual?" she was trying hard to mask her fear but she knew she was failing miserably. The knot in her throat was making her hard to swallow and even breathe.

"What you Midgardians call marriage." Odin explained and she sighed with relief. She was picturing herself with monks and knifes touching different parts of her body, her imagination was running wild. Still the idea of being married made her nervous, especially since she wasn't the commitment as her job didn't let her do so.

"Does he know I'm doing this?" she asked even after knowing what he had told Odin, she wasn't hundred percent sure he knew about her arrival since he was locked up in a prison cell.

"He is not quite aware of it." Odin answered.

"May I speak to him about it then?"

The question hit them hard. Nobody but Odin and Thor had visited Loki, not that they didn't want to but because he had failed to accept and receive any visitors. Odin remembered the last time he had been into his son's cell, it was exactly two weeks ago, and Loki had been delusional with fever and not strong enough to kick him out. Upon seeing Odin, Loki had screamed several words to him and Odin had walked away with tears in his eyes.

He feared that if Natasha went to see him, his reaction would be the same and probably harsher.

"I do not believe it is a good idea." Thor said, sadness laced in his voice.

"I think is fair for me to see the man I'm supposed to be married to before the wedding and not on the same day." She realized she had spoken more harshly than she had intended to and apologized immediately. She wasn't used to speaking to Kings "Your Highness."

"My son is not in the best state of mind, Lady Natasha," Odin explained "I fear his welcome with not be very pleasant."

"I don't care. I've spoken to Loki when he's mind was not that good, I think I can manage."

She was trying to state a point to Odin, that she was a different type of woman, not one that was easily scared, especially not by Loki. She had deal with crazy, psycho type of like Loki before. She didn't think there was going to be much of a difference.

"I will go with her, Father." Thor suggested.

There was no other choice for Odin but to agree and Natasha half hoped she was not wrong, that Loki was the same man she had seen before and slightly easy to manage. She wasn't sure if she would be able to control another type of Loki.

* * *

On the same day of her request she found herself walking along side Thor, towards a long dark alley. He had told her to be careful and be aware that what she was about to see wasn't going to be the greatest sight of all, and that his brother's rage had increased profusely. She had said she was ready for whatever she was about to see.

She had been wrong.

Loki's cell was completely different than the one he had been on Earth. It was not made of glass but of stone, it was colder and bigger. If this was supposed to bring fear upon someone, it was working. There was a bed, or something that resembled one, with a dirty mattress on it, she wrinkled her nose at the sight of it. She couldn't imagine someone being able to sleep in it. Asgardians sure had a good way of to punish someone.

Loki was sitting in a corner, facing a small window which was the only thing that brought light into the room. His hair was slightly longer than the last time she had seen him (a couple of months ago), he was still wearing his leather attire but the muzzle he had been forced to wear had disappeared.

"Brother…" Thor spoke softly, with the intention of getting Loki's attention. He got a response almost immediately though it was not the one he wished.

"I do not wish for visitors." Loki's voice was raspier than she remembered and she wondered if being locked and confined was the source of his voice change. Where they even feeding him? She looked around but found no plates and no glasses of water. They were taking the punishment seriously.

"Not even me? I came a long way down." Natasha spoke. Loki's head turned immediately towards her and his eyes settled on her face. She had sworn she saw a smile creep up his face after seeing her.

"What are you doing here, Midgardian?"

"You are being rude, brother."

"It's ok, Thor." she interrupted him; focusing on Loki one more time "I came to save your ass, dick." She was fool to believe he had changed.

"I wish not to be saved, especially by a mortal like you."

"LOKI!" Thor screamed his brother's name, angry at his brother's word. Loki merely ignored him, his eyes still on Natasha's. "Father has sent for her so your life could be spared, she does not deserve your discourtesy when her only reason to be here with us is you."

"What are you talking about, brother?" Loki exchanged looks from Thor to Natasha, confused by his words. Surely he would remember what he had said to Odin

"You told Father about your dreams, he sent for Lady Natasha upon knowing about them…"

"Surely you do not believe such thing!" Loki asked him, smirking.

"I do," Natasha responded. Her heart skipping a beat when his eyes settled on hers, they shone but she wasn't sure if it was caused by her imagination or from the light coming from the window. "And if your father sent for me to help you out, you could at least be kind enough to listen, don't you think?"

The brothers watched her, speechless, despite how nervous she was she didn't show it. Loki slowly got up from his place in the corner, walking slowly towards them both. She had forgotten how tall he was until he stood in-front of her. He was still as handsome as she remembered.

"Who gave you the idea that I wanted to be saved?" Loki asked, exchanging looks between Thor and Natasha. Natasha was shocked at how ungrateful he seemed to be. They were trying to save his life and he didn't seem to care at all.

"It was your tears and cries of despair." Thor spoke and for the first time Natasha saw fear in his eyes, as if he had suddenly been caught revealing a secret.

"If you don't agree its fine by me, you can rot in hell for all I care." She was quickly passing the stage of feeling sorry for him to feeling angry. She did not quit her day job to help someone who didn't want to saved, soul-mate or not.

She had made up her mind and turned to walk away, sighing heavily. She turned around as she heard him shift behind her and once again his eyes settled on her.

"Fine, I will do it" he had finally said. She figured he was tired of being locked down and he would take this as an advantage for getting out since he didn't look very please.

"I will let our father know about your decision brother." Thor spoke eagerly, squeezing his brother's shoulder and walking out quickly.

She thought, that being said, that Loki was going to be released immediately and judging by the look on his face he had thought so too, they were both shocked to know that those were not Thor neither Odin's plans for the time being. She exchanged one last look with Loki, before following Thor outside, her heart jolted uncomfortably inside her chest at the sadness in Loki's eyes.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

There was something strange to her, about being married to a man who was imprisoned; she had only shared a ten minutes conversation and nothing else. She was trying to convince herself that Loki being locked up was for the best, but oddly she was failing, miserably. It was bizarre to say the least.

She had locked herself in her room, trying to come up with a good excuse or reason for Loki being released. She understood he was paying for the mistakes he had made here and on her world, but if she was here to save him she could at least spend more than a few minutes before whatever Odin wanted to do.

"My Lady?" Domé had walked into Natasha's room when she was closing her eyes slowly, fatigue overtaking her body. Then she thought about the first time she had saw Domé, she seemed to know a lot about the people of Asgard and maybe she could help her find a reason to let Loki out.

"Domé, just the girl I wanted to see."Natasha sat upright in the bed, Domé bowed before her. Natasha was still not used to it.

"Can I be of assistance?"

"Yes actually. I've been meaning to ask you something, since you're the only one who I can turn to," not that she didn't want to talk to anyone else, she just had too many question and she was afraid she would make someone angry if she asked them.

"Ask whatever you wish, milady" Domé offered with a smile

"Was Loki…a bad person when he was here?"

Her demeanor changed all of a sudden, unlike the first she had mentioned Loki's name, Domé was not scared but entered in a brief state of daydreaming. She smiled sweetly at Natasha and took a seat on an empty chair before her.

"Prince Loki was the sweetest man I have ever met," as Domé spoke, Natasha held her tongue to not be rude. "Unlike Prince Thor, he was polite and kind to each and every one of us. Until something had snapped inside of him and he was not nice anymore."

She ended with a dot of sadness and Natasha was amazed how the roles have been revesed. She always thought Loki was rude and cruel towards every single person and Thor was the sweet one, it was strange to her it wasn't like that at all.

"Do you all know about what happened in…my world?"

"We heard, when he was bought back with Prince Thor, I was shocked to know what he had done, milady"

"I'm shocked to know Loki hasn't been evil all along." Natasha confessed

"Evil never…." Domé looked down at her hands, hesitating, unsure of whether she should speak again. Natasha barely touched the young girl's hand, encouraging her to move on with her tale or whatever she wanted to share with her. "I will dare to say, milady, that Prince Loki only needs someone to love him and cherish him. He had been mistreated repeatedly, not by his brother or his family, but by those he once called friends."

"He was bullied?" she asked her and Domé frowned at the word "was he ever physically abused?"

"I saw him being beat by Prince Thor's friends once. Though Thor never found out, Prince Loki had failed to tell him, afraid to be beaten again."

She was astonished. Knowing that Loki had been abused put everything into a different perspective for her, it gave her some sort of background to his demeanor and even if still didn't justify all the harm he had done, it made her comprehend that he had been misunderstood by a lot of people. Maybe acting like this was to prove a point; that he was capable. The he wasn't a coward, that he was strong, even if proving a point meant destroying half of a city.

"I am telling you milady. Prince Loki is not a bad man, perhaps what he needs is for someone to make the good in him come ou,t" Domé spoke smiling sweetly at her one more time "Maybe you are the one to do so."

* * *

As nervous as she was, she had already made up her mind about speaking to Odin. A bold question crept into her mind and she could not let it go. The conversation she had had with Domé practically forced her to step in and ask what she hadn't dared to after seeing Loki. It put her thoughts into a different perspective, it made her believe that the evil he had inside wasn't entirely there and he could be saved, if she did the right things and said the right words she could actually save part of the old Loki.

So she marched toward Odin, who was, as she thought was in the big room, this time he was accompanied by a beautiful woman dressed in a long sleeveless gold dress. She was standing beside him facing a large window, looking out at the landscape before them; the buildings of Asgard were magical and could drag anyone's attention. He must be proud of being its King.

They turned when they heard footsteps. The woman next to him approached Natasha and gave her a hug, to which she stood frozen in place for good five seconds before wrapping her arms around the woman's waist.

"I am so glad you are here, Lady Natasha" she spoke, smiling at her. "I am Loki's mother"

She understood the eager greeting.

"It's my pleasure, my lady. Anything I can do to help a friend." She was referring to Thor but she let the woman assume she was talking about Loki as well.

"Is there anything you need, Lady Natasha?" Odin asked approaching her as well.

"Yes. I was meaning to ask you…is there a chance for Loki to be released a few days before the wedding?" even saying the word sent shivers down her spine. "I know Thor mentioned that he would be released a day before and I thought…"

"I do not believe it is required for him to be out sooner" Odin stated and Natasha couldn't help but frowned at how cold he suddenly became towards it. The woman next to him frowned as well.

"I understand, but I really would like to speak to him for more than the ten minutes I did yesterday." she was being rude towards him again, for the second time since her arrival.

"I believe it is only fair for her to spend more time with Loki" the woman interfered. ",he has spent enough time…"

"He is paying for his crimes, Frigga" Odin spoke harshly, the woman bit her lips not to cry "he will not be out until I say so and I will not give him the chance to decline this deal."

"Yesterday, when I talked to him, he agreed immediately" Natasha spoke, though her words were a lie for Loki looked anything but pleased with the plans. Especially since he didn't want to be saved "I don't think him being in or out will make a difference."

She wasn't sure about her words. Loki was, to her and many, the God of Mischief and Lies, he could have been lying to her and Thor so he could get out, because he knew he would be able to get out during the soul mate ritual. He might as well disagree right at the ceremony and fly away to some unknown planet. If Odin was to agree with her and Loki was in fact to be released Odin would be taking a big chance with her, trusting her word.

"I will trust you, Lady Natasha" Odin spoke. She wasn't sure whether she should be scared or relieved. "I will release my son and he will be under your care for the time being."

"Thank you…sir" she answered, swallowing hard. She hadn't thought it out that far, belatedly, she wasn't sure if opening her mouth had been a good idea after all.

**TBC.**


	5. Chapter 5

She waited in her room for God's know how long. Loki was being released at the moment and Natasha had hidden inside her chambers, having forgotten to consider the repercussion of her request to Odin. Granted she had thought for a minute, that if Odin were to say yes Loki would be released and under his own care. She had forgotten about the fact that maybe Odin didn't trust his son fully but he trusted her (maybe because she was one of the few people who had stopped Loki in the first place) and he was just trying to make sure he didn't lose his mind again. Natasha wasn't prepared to take care of Loki or being in charge of him like a babysitter.

Truth to be told she hadn't been prepared for anything since Thor asked for her help.

Domé walked in suddenly, breathing heavily. She stood in front of her with a wide smile on her face and squeezed Natasha's hands in excitement.

"He has been released!" Domé spoke "Prince Loki is out of imprisonment!"

Natasha thought that Domé might have been the only woman to be happy upon Loki's release. Most of the Asgardians knew what he had done and thought of him as undeserving to the throne and everything that was entitled to royalty. It had been a relief for them when he was put in jail, but now he was being released far too quickly and for reasons unknown to them.

"Where is he now?"

"He is on his way to your chambers"

She froze in place. He was on his way to her and he was probably going to demand explanations. She was a little bit frighten of what his reaction was going to be, but the words Thor had told her still echoed in her head 'he cannot hurt you for he will he hurt as well', not that he had any intention to hurt her now but with Loki she never knew.

Domè forced her to get up, fixing Natasha's attire and her hair. She frowned at the girl, confused.

"What are you doing?" she asked her and the girl smiled

"Your future husband will appear and you two will exchange words for the very first time, you must look presentable."

Just when Domè was fixing Natasha's last lock of hair the door snapped open, revealing a very messy, paled skinned Loki. He looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes proved so and she felt bad just thinking about how terrible it must have been for him, all the years in prison.

It was strange to her that all of a sudden, all of what she felt for him had nothing to do with the hate she was supposed to be feeling. She was starting to believe that the soul mate thing were actually real.

"Prince Loki" Domé broke the sudden silence among them bowing at his presence. She was greeted with a sweet smile from Loki, which shocked Natasha even more than her own feelings.

"Domé , it is good to see you again" Loki spoke. "Will you give me and Lady Natasha a minute alone please?"

It was strange to see him and hear him being so polite towards people, especially a maid. She had always thought him to be the spoiled, rude Prince. She found herself surprised by all the things she had come to learned about him.

Domé bowed to him and walked out of the room, not before winking mischievously at Natasha.

He paced around the room, looking at his surroundings, slightly fascinated with the colors unbeknownst to him just like she had the first time she walked in. He smiled when he reached the vases she had become captivated with, touching it with his fingertips but frowning when he realized his hands were stained with dirt. He turned towards her, hiding his hands behind his back, he rocked on his heels back and forth.

"Thor told me you have spoken for me, in my behalf."

"Yeah I…thought it didn't make sense for you to be locked if you had already agree with all of this."

"Yes, of course" he whispered, looking down at his feet for a brief second before his eyes settled on her once more "I guess I should thank you."

She didn't know whether to frown, smile or just be quiet. She chose the second since he was being polite towards her, she should respond the same way.

"You would have done the same for me, right?" She didn't know that for a fact but she still said it. His silence said so much more than his words.

"Well I must go. I am in a desperate need of a bath."

"Of course..."

He walked a few steps towards her, breaking into her personal space but not quite, he grabbed her hand and dropped a sweet kiss into it. Her breath caught in her throat, she hoped her body was deceiving her as pluses of electricity ran through her body as Loki's lips came in touch with her skin. She froze in place, his lips detaching them self from her hand slowly, his green eyes locked with her as he released her hand, it felt reluctant. Taking a few steps back he smiled warmly before disappearing through the door.

Her hand, the same that had been touched briefly by his lips, came to rest upon her chest to calm her now troubled heart. She had never in her life had felt such an incredible sensation and her whole body now craved for more of his touch.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

The soft rays of sunshine hit her eyes and Natasha covered them immediately merely by instinct. She stretched on the mattress before pulling the covers aside. She had lost track of time, not really knowing how it really worked in Asgard, not that she suddenly cared.

Domè made her way in like every morning. She opened the curtains and arranged Natasha's attire. Which much to Natasha's dismay were Asgardian dresses, meaning shiny ones. She was tempted to complain but figured since she was in their world, it wouldn't be proper for her to do so.

"Good morning, my lady." Dome greeted her with a smile

"Good morning Domè."

"It is a lovely day today and a great day ahead for you."

"What do you mean?" She frowned at the comment

"Your ritual attire is to be fitted today".

She had completely forgotten about her dress and the fact she didn't have one yet. She wondered who had prepared the dress for her as she was not prepared.

She tried to ignore the strange feeling on her stomach by looking out the window. With all the craziness that had been going on when she arrived that she had failed to notice the beautiful view before her. A gorgeous garden laid below her, with flowers of all different colors, in the middle of the garden there was a fountain with pouring crystal water. Her breath caught on her throat as how amazing everything was.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Domè asked a smile of her own.

"It is…"

"Lady Frigga planted the flowers herself," she said "it is her favorite spot and... not so long ago Prince Loki's"

She suppressed the doubt coming from her, choosing to smile instead. Lately, when it came to Loki, she found herself doubting a lot of things.

Then, when her eyes settled outside again, something caught her attention. Someone was sitting in front of the fountain, a male, but she couldn't quite make out who he was.

"Lady Frigga and the ladies would be here soon"

"What?" She snapped her attention towards Dome.

"For your dress, my lady."

"Right."

She turned her attention back outside. The man outside had turned his face to his side and she could now see him; it was Loki. He had a flower in his hand and she couldn't help but smile at how sweet it was.

"Just when is Lady Frigga coming?"

"After lunch, milady."

"Perfect, I need to do something first."

She briefly looked outside before gathering her dress and walked out of her room.

* * *

He couldn't quite remember the last time he had been here, had it been years maybe? He didn't know. He also didn't know how he got here. Suddenly he was caught up with all the questions and the speeches he had received from at first Thor and later Odin, he had been so desperate to walk out of the room and before he even noticed his legs where taking him here. What had become, a long time ago, his favorite place in Asgard.

He remembered watching his mother plant each flower and watch them grow alongside her. He remembered how she told stories to him and Thor, one of them was the tale of the soul mates. The one he never thought he could come true, but it was, and it was happening to him with the woman who used to hate him the most.

He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed her coming towards him. He lift his head enough to see her warm smile, he couldn't help but smile back.

"Do you mind if I sit?" She asked pointing at the empty spot beside him.

"Sure, it is somewhat a free world."

He looked at her and laughed softly. It had been the first time he had seen her with a asgardian attire, she didn't look bad but surely she wasn't really comfortable.

"Why are you laughing about?" She asked, frowning.

"You look quite...good with that dress"

"Oh right. Enjoy the view pal because you won't see it again"

"Why? I think you look quite beautiful"

A sudden heat rose on her cheeks unexpectedly. She felt the need to change the subject.

"So...this is gorgeous" she spoke, looking around her. He did the same, briefly, his eyes focused on his hands resting on his lap.

"Yes it is," he lifted his head to look at her "my mother did all this, back when I was child," he swallowed the lump on his throat at the memories "it was my favorite place growing up."

"Was? It's not anymore?"

"No, I guess not"

"Why?"

He shrugged "I do not know. A lot of things had changed, I changed. Discovered this about me and my family that forced me to, I thought everything had been a lie and this place bought all the memories back. It hurts."

"Why did you come back here if it hurts so much?"

"I...do not know that either I'm afraid."

"Maybe part of you still craves for them, you know? Like you wished for your life to be the same, like it was back then"

He stared at a lost spot before him, processing what she had said. His expression was suddenly replaced by that of sadness and she regretted opening her mouth in the first place.

"I'm sorry Loki" she apologized "I shouldn't have said anything"

"Do not fret Lady Natasha" he spoke, his hand coming briefly to rest upon her hand. Her heart froze inside her chest, their eyes met and the electricity she had felt the first time they touched come back, she was sure he felt it too. As quickly as it came his hand was removed.  
She smiled and looked away, unable to control her erratic heart.

"I...I've been meaning to ask you" she spoke, shifting a little on her seat "did you ever hear anything, about the soul mate thing? Growing up I mean"

"Yes, I had" Loki responded "mother told me about it when I was a child."

"Did you believe it?"

"Not at first, no" he meant to say that he believed it now "it was just a tale, one of the many my mother used to tell me."

"What makes you believe in it now?"

"I do not know, quite frankly" He glanced at her, his eyes shinier than ever. She felt a shiver down her spine. She wasn't quite sure why his sudden presence was causing her to react like this. "I believe, and please do not take this as an offence, that it is slightly better than being promised to marriage as child."

"None taken" then his words hit her and she snapped her head towards him "wait, you've been engaged before?"

"Yes, as an infant."

"Arrange marriages happening on Asgard? Wow."

"Why is that so surprising?"

"Well, I thought since Asgard and my world are quite different, this things about parents forcing their children to marry someone they don't want to, or they don't know, didn't happen".

"Our ritual is to be arranged." He stated

"Yes, but it's a total different arrangement. I'm here to save your life; this soul mate thing only happens here, not where I live. If this is happening it is because…."

"Thor told you so" he finished for her, the last words with a hint of displeasure.

"No, he asked me and I said yes. There wasn't any force or threat at all."

He sighed heavily, the flower he had on his hand was long forgotten, its petals had fell to the ground leaving only the tiny stem in his hands. She watched it as it crushed under his touch, one of them had turned slightly icy, and when he had noticed what he had done he let it go.

"I do not understand why my brother wishes to save me," he whispered "I am not a soul that deserves any forgiveness, not after what I have done. "

"Everybody deserves a second chance and Thor loves you, you're his brother."

"Perhaps…"

"And who knows, maybe this whole ritual will bring you the two of you together again."

His eyes were on her again, and the heat that had vanished returned once more. She was afraid he might have noticed. It wasn't like it could easily be ignored either way. So she focused her eyes on a beautiful flower, one that had called her attention immediately; it resemble a tulip, but smelled distinctly of vanilla, that smell only brought memories to her mind, memories of a place she could not recall but somehow made her smile.

"Smells so good in here" she spoke, closing her eyes and breathing the air surrounding her "like vanilla."

"Does it remind you of something?"

"Yes" she responded but frowned at the question "I don't remember what exactly. I've been in so many places during my life I just can't quite put my finger on it at the moment."

"I am sure they were happy memories, for you smiles tells me so."

"Maybe, as I said I cannot remember very well."

He got up while she spoke, making his way through the garden, tearing off one of the flowers and bringing it to her. She grinned at him, receiving it with a pleasant surprise.

"I hope when you see this flower, the memories of happy times come back to you, for you looked beautiful when a smile is set upon your face."

"That's…umm thank you Loki." She was taken aback by his words. No man, and she has met many, had ever spoke to her like he had. He was charming, classy and sweet, so much more different than the Loki she saw back in Midgard, the one that had insulted her on their first meeting.

"It is my entire pleasure."

She couldn't recall how many times she had wished for a man like him in her life, and that it was happening, oddly, she couldn't wait to become his wife.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of people like Sif but I sorta don't, so she'll play the "evil" woman in here. My apologies to those who like her!

Natasha thought, just for a brief minute, that having a girl to talk to would be a good idea. She had Domé, to which she was forever grateful for, since she had been nothing but a good company in this strange world. She never thought though, that all of a sudden her room would be filled with six very talkative women (including her soon to be mother-in-law). She could handle Domé because Domé was a nice sweet woman, who answered every doubt she had about everything concerning Loki or Asgard.

She was so not ready to handle the others though.

Frigga held in her hands, what was supposed to be Natasha's wedding dress. It was beautiful. It resembled an old medieval wedding dress, but longer and sleeveless.

"This is really beautiful." Natasha whispered unable to tear her eyes off the gown.

"It was made just for you" Frigga said and Natasha felt the sudden need to hug the woman tightly. She did so and received a hug in return.

"Thank you." she whispered

She was getting emotional. The reason why was because no one had ever done something this sweet, even if it was a simply giving her a dress, it meant that someone was thinking about her and what she liked and that made her believe they truly cared.

"Well, let us get this done." Frigga spoke, grabbing Natasha by the hand and leading her toward a chair where she was pulled to sit.

It freaked her out that the woman were surrounding her, not that she hasn't been in such a position before, but they were giggling and touching her curled red hair. If she had no idea what a dress fitting in her world entailed, she wasn't about to know what it meant in Asgard either.

Something caught her attention. One of the woman started to whisper to another, as if Natasha was not there and not even Frigga. By her tone Natasha could tell the woman was disgusted.

"I do not understand how, of all man on Asgard, she chose to bond with him." the woman said. Natasha tried to look up to the woman but she was forced to look back down by someone.

"I know. She could have found someone so much better than Prince Loki." the other woman answered.

"He is not fit to the throne, no less as any woman's husband."

"He is a monster and a lunatic…"

"Excuse me!" Natasha snapped, standing up from her chair to look at both women. They had fear written all over their faces at her sudden reaction. "In case you haven't noticed I'm standing right here and the man you're speaking of is going to be my husband. If you don't care for this engagement, leave, I do not want to listen to someone bad mouth my husband."

"I am terribly sorry, my lady" one of them said, while the other remained quiet and adopted a challenging position.

"I am not" the other answered. Natasha had to control the urge to slap the woman straight in her face. "Prince Loki is the most unpleasant man I have ever come across. If you think he is not a monster then you are lying to yourself."

"Who do you think you are to speak of him like this?" Natasha snapped.

"Someone from this world," the woman answered "someone who has seen the thing he had done and the damage he has caused, not a total stranger who has come to disturbed the peace and bring out the monster we have been trying to keep away."

"I might be a stranger to you and I might not know Loki very well. But I do believe in second chances, and he damn well deserves one and seriously what the hell are you doing here if you don't want this marriage to happen?"

The woman looked as if she was about to attack her, even walked a few steps towards her, until Frigga stepped in the way. The woman in question bowed to her and apologized and Natasha was wondered why she hadn't come to Loki's defense like she had.

"I think is time for you to leave Lady Sif." Frigga spoke to the woman, who cast one more glance in Natasha's direction before marching away.

"I'm really sorry milady" Natasha apologized even though that woman had been speaking rudely about Loki and had nothing to do with the marriage itself.

"It is not your fault. Lady Sif has some anger within her soul that has nothing to do with you."

"But Loki?"

"That is a story you will know, but not today."

The resumed to their previous task and even though Natasha was to be focused on whatever they were explaining to her, her brain was still on the woman who had left the room minutes before, tempted and eager for the rest to leave, Natasha couldn't wait to interrogate Domé properly.

* * *

Her wishes were granted soon enough. The women left and she rushed towards Domé, who surely knew Natasha was eager to question her about Sif.

"Tell me everything you know" Natasha told her, the maid smiled widely "you know a lot, obviously."

"Well, Lady Sif and Prince Loki do not get along."

"Pretty obvious."

"They had engaged in several verbal disputes."

"ok, go on"

"I believed he liked her, for a while, but then after knowing what she had done ages ago his feeling towards her changed."

"What did she do?"

"Rumor has it they had been engaged to be bonded but Lady Sif had made a tantrum about it before the Allfather, claiming she was not satisfied with her mate and he had called off the deal."

"wait.." she remember what Loki had said about being offered to married when he was a still a baby and everything suddenly fit "Loki's ex was that woman?"

"Yes"

"oh wow…" she sat back down on her bed, a sudden pang of jealousy hit her. Sif's reaction had made her believe there was part of her that still had feelings for Loki and she was also failing to admit it. "What do you mean she wasn't satisfied with her mate?"

"She had feelings for someone else."

"Really? Who?"

"I do not know my lady, sorry."

"It's ok. You gave me enough information."

"I am glad I could be of assistance." Dormé smiled making her way towards the door and disappearing behind it.

Natasha had started to stare outside the window, like she had done a few hours ago. The perfect view to the garden bought peace to her mind, and after all the information gathered her feelings of despair and her eagerness had been replaced by a mixture of jealousy and anger.

Not towards Loki. No. Those had been replaced the minute he had said 'thank you' to her upon his release.

Her anger was directed towards Sif. At how she spoke about Loki in such a harsh manner and how the hate she felt seemed to pour out of her skin.

The jealousy came at her knowledge that Sif was meant to be his wife instead of her. Simple. She could not put more words into it. She was having a hard time controlling her wishes to see her away from Loki.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

Looking outside, towards the garden, had become one of her favorite past time, most of the time she just stared at the flowers and the water pouring from the fountain. Other times she hoped to find Loki sitting there, with a flower in his hand. Her smile faded when she found no one outside.

So each morning, when the sun hit her eyes, she got up and made her way towards the window. Domé followed her suit, like a constant companion, knowing who she was hoping to find outside even thought Natasha had never mentioned it to her. She was also sure Loki had no idea she acted like a stalker, which made everything weirder.

Then, one day she had started her ritual and was surprised to find him sitting there, at the same spot. She had smiled at Domé before walking out, for no particular reason she was eager for this encounter.

She thought perhaps the 'soul mate' thing was acting on her.

* * *

He flashed a smile at her when she sat next to him. Despite loving being alone, he enjoyed her company more than he could explain, even if they had spent only a few times alone.

"Have you returned for another flower, Lady Natasha?" he asked and she smiled in return, taking a seat next to him.

"Maybe" she responded "I've been stalking your from my window" she turned around quickly, showing him what she meant. Domé stood there, waving back at them.

"Oh. I had no idea watching over me had become one of your many skills."

"Not quite, but I should remember to add that to my resume."

They fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts, enjoying the quiet moment as well as the company.

"Loki?"

"Yes?"

"Was Sif, the woman you were supposed to marry?" She asked quickly. His head snapped towards her.

"Who spoke to you about that?"

"Just…something I heard somewhere" she refused to mention Domé, in case she was to get into trouble. "Is it true?"

"Yes" he admitted. His face, like many times before, had a flash of grief, as if the mere mention of Sif bought back painful memories.

"What happened?" she knew the story but wanted to hear everything from his lips..

"She was not too pleased to be engaged to me." he whispered, his eyes transfixed into the fountain.

"Why?"

"What was the common answer to that? She wanted Thor" he answered bitterly "just like everyone else."

She didn't know what to say. She always knew about Loki's jealousy towards Thor but she assumed it was always because he felt unloved by his parents and when they constantly tried to prove otherwise, that he was worthy of love, but a woman came and spoke differently. She only hoped he didn't know the way Sif referred to him.

"The only reason why the marriage did not take place was because Thor had been sent into battle."

"Why didn't they marry afterwards?"

"Thor had been banished" he looked briefly at his hands and Natasha realized that was when discovered about his true origin "and when he came back from your world he had fallen in love with a Midgardian, Jane"

There was still this doubt on her head and she could not ignore it. After listening to what Sif had said, for a moment the thought of Sif liking Loki again burdened her, and she was dying to know (If she was right) if he might returned her feelings.

"Do you like her? Did you ever like her?"

"Yes. But it was merely a young child's crush, my feelings had never been returned, not even a little."

"Could she like you now?"

He frowned at the question "No, she has always hated me for what I did to Thor and I am certain the only thing she wants, is for me to vanish from Asgard"

"Oh..."

"Most of what we ever did was argue, when I sensed her displeasure each time I approached her made me realized she did not like me at all."

She was tempted to say 'I like you' but that only meant they were going to, once again, argue about the reason that she was here and that her feelings were merely those of pity. Which she had started to believe weren't.

"Why are you asking me all this?" he continued.

"I'm just...curious."

"Does this has something to do with what happened in your bedchambers?"

"Who told you about that?"

"My mother"

"Of course she did..." Natasha laughed softly. It wasn't like she had asked Frigga to keep it a secret.

"She also told me you spoke on my behalf," he watched her, grinning. She merely shrugged.

"I was upset and she had pissed me off. The only thing I did was to put her in her place."

"If you say so," he nodded "but thank you either way. This is the second time you stood up for me."

"Well, I won't let anyone badmouth my future husband..."

He kissed her cheek. Just like that, giving her no time to react. His cold lips upon her cheek made her tremble. There was no electricity this time, just shock.  
His lips came to whisper something on her ear, a breath caught on her throat at how his cold breath crashed against the sensitive skin of her ear.

"Thank you" he spoke, walking away before Natasha could give a proper response.

She turned towards her window, briefly, only to find Domé clapping and bouncing. She waited until her heart returned to its normal pace to walk back inside.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

She was not supposed to be nervous; she had to leave that job to a bride in love. Still she was pretty much freaking out. The dress hanging on the edge of her bed didn't help to calm her nerves either.

Domé bounced inside her room, equally eager as she was, possibly more. The nervousness Natasha felt increased as her maid helped her get ready.

She had tried the dress on only once, back then she thought it was beautiful, but right at this moment it took her breath away. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and a crown of tiny white flowers was made for her to wear.

"You look lovely," Frigga spoke, walking into the room and towards her. She smiled kindly in return, caressing the dress with her fingertips.

"Thank you." Natasha whispered.

"I should tell you, the ceremony is to take place outside, in the garden" Frigga told her "My son mentioned that it is your favorite place in Asgard."

She was touched beyond words. Loki had been kind enough, sweet enough to speak about this to his mother, it made her believe he spoke a lot about her with Frigga and the mere thought of it made her eyes watery.

"That's very…sweet of him"

"He wants you to be comfortable and happy," she spoke "and before I forget, he asked me to give you this," she handed Natasha a green medium size velvet box. She opened it slowly, her heart jolted at the sight of what was inside. It was a beautiful necklace with a green diamond pendant. Shiny and beautiful, the perfect gift a girl could ask for.

"This is…my God this is so gorgeous." she breathed, caressing it with her fingertips. She was trying hard to find the words to express how special this was. Nobody had ever given such a meaningful gift to her, it made her feel special. She was surprised to find out it had been none other than Loki to make her feel like that.

"Darling," Frigga interrupted her thoughts, her hand came to wipe away a single tear running down Natasha's cheek, one she hadn't notice falling. She held her hand later, giving it a light squeeze "I know I have said this before but I feel the need to say this again; Thank you, for everything. You have bought back a side of my son I had not seen in a very long time and I will be forever grateful for what you had done."

"I didn't do anything different, My lady" Natasha responded "The old Loki has always been there, I just push him a little and I guess it worked"

"You did a marvelous job" Frigga spoke, laughing softly Moving forward to give Natasha a warm hug. "There is no-one I wanted more to take the place of my daughter in law than you. You are in fact my son's soul mate."

She was yet to decide whether that was good or bad.

* * *

Once again, Natasha was having a hard time regulating her breathing. It was happening more often than she could count since she arrived to Asgard but for different reasons. Right now, the main reason was the stunning scenario before her.

The garden was decorated by a simple white tent. White chairs were place next to a small path had been created with a green carpet. She thought the color had been chosen by either Loki or Frigga knowing this was his favorite color. Small candles decorated the carpet at each side, guiding her towards the edge of the fountain she loved to admire.

Pretty much like a normal wedding, the husband to be waiting for his bride. With each step Natasha took her heart beat faster, her palms became sweaty just by seeing how Loki hadn't take his eyes from her.

When she had reached the edge of the path, their eyes met. She could have sworn his eyes were watery but they could not have been, no. This was a deal they have both agreed on, sentiments aside. He was not meant to feel anything.

Yet neither was she but there she was, almost teary at the sight of how handsome he looked for her, his leather suit (pretty much like he had worn back when he went crazy, minus the green cape) looked impeccable but incredibly less menacing. His hair had been cut short, but still combed backward; she had also noticed the slight curls at the tips.

The world surrounding them seemed to stop. She could hear someone talking, saying words regarding commitment and loyalty. She could have paid more attention, but Loki's eyes were staring, at her very soul, she couldn't seem to tear her own eyes away. It seemed like there was no one else in the room but them, until the cleric performing the ceremony called both of their names and they looked away. He was reaching out for them, joining their hands together. She looked at him again and he shared a warm smile and gave her hand a light squeeze. This small but simple gesture calmed her; it was as if he knew she was internally freaking out.

Then the last words hit her:

_'…you are now bonded for eternity.''_

Claps were heard from afar. Natasha had suddenly forgotten they were actual people with them and not just the two of them. Loki moved a few steps closer, his hand still on hers, before she could register it his lips came upon hers in a brief sweet kiss.

It took by surprise though she knew after all the words, a kiss was supposed to happen, but Asgardian weddings and the weddings from her world were slightly different and for a minute she had thought the kiss was not going to happen at all.

But when it did her heart stopped, not literally, but it did stop. Her whole world spin around her, her knees turned weak like jelly and she pressed herself closer to his body for support. It wasn't supposed to turn to intense, so passionate, especially since people were watching, but she couldn't help by wrap her arms around his neck and moan when his tongue made contact with hers.

It wasn't until Thor had called his brother's name that they broke apart, that, reminded them they were in a public place and surrounded not only by Asgardians but also Loki's family.

She sighed heavily, placing her hand above her heart to stop it from its erratic pace. She was extremely aware of how her cheeks were turning a slight crimson red and how she was tempted to kiss Loki one more time just because she could, and wanted.

He grinned and took her hand, interviewing their fingers.

She was feeling it. She was feeling something distinctly like love almost to the point of picturing their future together. She wondered if this was how the soul mate bonding ritual worked, was it supposed to make her pulse speed by just looking at him? Was she going to go die if he ever leave her side? Was she going to be the woman whom life would depend on the man beside her? Or was she going to have the same independence like she always had?

Right now, before her question could get a proper answer, she had to work on how to get her heart to beat at a normal pace and especially to work on how not to stare at his lips the whole time.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

They were presented as Prince and Princess of Asgard. She had never thought in the entire life she would become a princess, not less from an entire different world. Not that she would be walking hand in hand with the man she used to hate, despise even, or that she would end up married to him. Yet she was, right this moment, walking inside the room she called 'big fancy room' surrounding by people cheering and clapping at their entrance.

She searched for the familiar face of Domé, because she clearly needed her, and found her pouring a drink to the guests. She waved a hand at her and grinned widely. If she was to look for someone, aside from Loki's mother, to be happy about this bonding it was Domé, and no matter how little they knew each other Natasha sought for her approval knowing she knew Loki better than she did.

She took a seat and Loki did the same next to her. A ball was to take place to celebrate the union, everyone was dancing to a soft music in the background and she watched them with joy.

Loki moved beside her, standing up before her and reaching for her hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked smiling sweetly at her. She nodded slowly, getting up from her chair and letting him lead her to the dance floor.

Just like the movies, like the many chick flicks she had watched with her friend in her youth, the couples moved aside to give them room, staring at the loving newlyweds. One of his hands came to rest on her lower waist, while the other held her hand tightly. Giving how tall he was, he was way taller than her, her head came to rest on his chest, listening to the soft beating of his heart.

They swayed to the soft music in silence, neither of them wanting to break the moment between them. Both of them enjoying the closeness of their bodies.

"I didn't know you could dance" she asked lifting her head briefly to look at his eyes.

"It was mandatory for us to learn, as future kings."

"You're not that bad."

"Thank you" he smiled politely.

They felt silence, each of them just enjoying the music.

"I forgot to thank you for the gift," Natasha spoke "it was beautiful."

"You deserve that and more my princess."

She laughed softly, he frowned confused "I'm sorry, it just sounds weird to be called a princess, I'm hardly one"

"How do you wish me to call you?"

"Natasha, just Natasha."

"Your wish is my command, Natasha" he whispered. She was starting to love the way her name sounded on his lips.

"Thank you."

"I should have mentioned before, but you looked gorgeous today" he whispered. He was slightly blushing, which made her warm up inside.

"Well you didn't look bad yourself" she responded smiling in return "I like the signature color."

"Yes, I just could not leave it aside."

They kept on swaying, even as the couple surrounding them left the dance floor, they stood there, glued to each other's body. Natasha's eyes now stared at his lips, unable to look away and he had noticed this, looking at her own as well.

"Lady Natasha, may I kiss you again?" he whispered. Her heart cringed inside her chest at how sweet the question was. He was seriously asking her maybe afraid she would take it as a disrespectful act, to kiss her.

"Yes…" she spoke, her voice turning into a whisper.

His head moved closer, his arms now wrapping around her waist, and his lips made contact with hers. Just like the first time, the mere touch sent shivers down her spine. She didn't care who was watching, she didn't care about being surrounded by each and every Asgardian, she only care about the sensations his lips were making her feel and how they moved hungrily upon hers. Her hands reached for the curls on the back of his head, caressing them softly and enjoying how soft they felt on her fingers.

They broke apart reluctantly; air was becoming a problem for both of them. He smiled widely, his hands caressing her cheeks sweetly.

"Natasha I…"

"BROTHER!" Thor's yelling surprised them, he walked towards them and pat Loki's back and grinning. "May I steal your bride?"

"What?" Loki frowned at his brother's request. He not an hour after marriage, and he was already getting possessive of her.

"For a dance, brother, just a dance." Thor spoke, pulling Natasha off his brother's arms. She shared one last look with him, already missing his touch.

Just like Loki had done, Thor dragged her towards the dance floor and spun her before pulling her body towards his. She laughed, couldn't help it really.

"My brother looks happy." Thor spoke while they swayed to the music. She searched for Loki's face among the crowd and found him dancing with his mother; he was indeed smiling happily at her. She loved to believe she was the cause of his happiness.

"Yes, he does." she whispered.

"You are the reason why he smiles again, Lady Natasha." Thor told her "You bought my old brother back, gave him the love he needed and crave."

"I think he gave me something I've long for too," she whispered "and thought would never get."

"Is it love?"

She turned her face towards the crowd, where Loki still danced with his mother. He had looked around to, his eyes glued to hers, grinning widely.

"Maybe it is." she spoke, her eyes never leaving Loki's

"He is a lucky man for having you." Thor spoke and Natasha wondered, for the first time, if he knew after agreeing with this deal, her feeling for Loki would change and she would begin to love him like she had not intended to.

"Perhaps I'm the lucky one."

* * *

The nervousness hit her again, like an uncontrollable shiver running through every inch of her body. She knew very well what was supposed to happen behind her bedroom doors, and she had no expected to feel like a teenager again. Sweaty palms and butterflies in her stomach included.

They reached her room, Loki stood behind her and she pushed the door open quickly, almost tripping clumsily on her dress. Why she was acting like this was beyond her. They stood awkwardly next to each other; Loki balanced on his heels as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, neither of them emitting a word.

"Well…" he spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence "I believe this is where…"

"Yeah…"

"I…" he turns around towards her, slowly and she takes in a breath before releasing it loudly. Loki looks down at his feet, rubbing his temples and sighing "I think I better leave you here to rest, Lady Natasha."

"What?" she snapped, frowning at him. Not that she was expecting anything to happen, thought secretly a part of her heart (body) wanted to.

"You look exhausted and it has been an incredibly tiresome day"

"Loki…"

"I will return to my bedchambers so you can get your proper rest. Goodnight"

He walked away quickly, closing the door behind him. Her heart broke a little. She wasn't expecting anything, she wasn't expecting sex, she wasn't expecting a full make out session, she just wanted to feel his body lying next to her on the bed, wake up seeing his smile and for him to cradle her head on his chest.

Instead of that, for whatever reason, she only got her empty and cold bed.

This wasn't the way her first night as a married woman was supposed to go. Not at all.

**TBC.**


	11. Chapter 11

The rejection, though it was not entirely one, she got from Loki the previous night disturbed her. She sensed he wanted to stay with her but maybr she had read it wrong, or maybe there was something bothering him or perhaps she had said something wrong. It had bothered her, and the thought hadn't let her sleep the entire night.

She ended up outside Loki's room very early in the morning, knocking softly. It wasn't long until the door opened for her, the dark circles around his eyes told her he hadn't sleep much either.

"Good morning" Loki greeted her, bowing briefly. "I hope you had a good night, Lady Natasha."

"I didn't," she responded "and neither did you, I can tell"

"Well yes…I did not have a very good night"

"May I ask why?"

He merely shrugged, disregarding her question at once.

"Loki, did I do something wrong?" she asked again, receiving a confused frown from him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean from the way you practically ran away from my room last night." She wasn't the one to beg, but the answer to that question was eating her alive.

"You have not done anything wrong, Lady Natasha," he spoke, gently walking a little bit closer to her "I did not mean to frighten you that way."

"You did. Especially since you didn't say another word but just left."

"I did explain that I wanted you to be well rested."

"That was an assumption, that I was tired when I wasn't"

"What did you want then?"

She blushed, slightly. Remembering the things she thought about, for a moment, what she should have been doing last night with him, even if the thought barely crossed her mind it was enough to make her cheeks turn crimson red.

"For you to stay…and act like the married couple that we are," she stopped when Loki grinned mischievously "Not in that way, what I meant to say is that people are going to talk if they realize you've been sleeping on separate rooms. They do think we married because we're in love."

"Of course, I have forgotten about that."

"So, are you going to stay with me tonight?" it sounded so weird asking him that, but yet so natural.

He seemed slightly disturbed and uncomfortable with the question. It wasn't complicated, at least to her, because she wasn't asking for them to do something, just pretend to be the perfect married couple everyone expected them to be. But he looked frighten.

"I…do not believe I should do so." he whispered, staring at the ground. Natasha frowned at his statement.

"Why?"

"Do not be offended, my Lady. There is nothing more pleasant than your company, I just…" he sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a brief second. "I do not wish to disturb your nights."

"Disturb my nights? What do you mean?"

"I…cannot stop the nightmares from coming." he spoke, looking embarrassed at his confession.

"You're getting nightmares?"

"Yes. Ever since I had arrived in Asgard. They haunt me every night, every second and then more, I wish them to vanish, the more they return."

Natasha understood why he wanted to be apart from her. It wasn't because he didn't want to spend the night at her side; it was because he was afraid she would hear his cries and moans. He looked so fragile before her and it broke her heart.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because it is not something that is pleasant to speak about."

"Maybe, if you tell me about them, I can help you make them go away." she suggested. Watching him suffer because of his dreams made her sad.

"Nobody can help me" he whispered, his eyes meeting hers were full of grief and regret. He was hurting so bad all of a sudden, the happiness he had felt the day before seemed to have vanished and the Loki she had seen before had gone along with it.

"Loki, don't shut me out. Let me help you" she begged, holding his hands between hers. He was giving in slowly, breaking the barrier between them gently.

"They were about you" he whispered "of the day I destroyed people's lives, the day I thought I could conquer the world and make everyone kneel at my feet. I saw you…I had you, in my arms, and you…I had killed you. There was blood everywhere. I tried to stop it, I begged for you to live but you were gone…I had taken you away."

A single tear rode along his pale cheek and his last words became sobs on his lips. Her thumb caressed his face and wiped away the tears. He had closed his eyes to her touch, leaning in slowly to rest his forehead upon hers. He held onto her, breathing heavily at the sobs he was trying to suppress, perhaps too embarrassed to show any sign of weakness.

"I will make them go away." she whispered.

"Will you promise?"

"I do. I promise I will"

* * *

He went to her room. He laid next to her on her big mattress. They both stared at the ceiling, unable to move, afraid to break each other's personal space. She eyed him, his eyes drifting close slowly and she smiled, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Somehow it soothes her having him around, as if after the intimate moments they had shared she just couldn't keep him away from her.

Then her eyes drifted close, only to be awoken by a soft whimper, a cry coming from him. He was shifting on his spot, crying her name, begging for her. He whispered an apology, a single tear running down his cheek, a sob escaping his lips. She softly touched his hand, fingertips caressing gently, letting him know it was just a dream and nothing else. His cries subside when she rested her head on his chest, the rapid beating of his heart calmed upon feeling her close.

They feel asleep like that, holding into each other's bodies, seeking for the warmth they both craved. There was nothing else she needed, nothing more than she ever wanted.

**TBC!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lame attempt of a "sex scene" .

When she woke up next morning the bed was empty. Her heart cried with sadness upon not finding him by her side. She just prayed that he had not run away from her, thinking of last night as a cowardly act because he was showing a side of him nobody knew.

"Good morning Princess." Domé greeted her, grinning at her.

"Good morning." she responded, getting up from her bed and into her bathroom. She stopped halfway."Have you seen Loki?"

"Yes, Prince Loki wanted me to tell you he was not going to be here until later."

"Really?" she frowned "Did he tell you where he went?"

"No, but he left with Prince Thor."

"Oh…" She felt sad that he wasn't with her but at least he was bonding with Thor again, which made her happy. "I'm going to take a bath"

"Do you have any plans for today, my lady?"

"No, not really" she was planning on sitting at the garden and waiting for Loki to return home. But she decided she didn't want to look possessive. "I might take a walk later."

"I can keep you company if you wish, until Prince Loki returns."

"Sure, that sounds lovely."

* * *

Loki returned sometime in the middle of the afternoon, grinning from ear to ear. She was sitting on her bed when he walked in, covered in sweat and dirt. Despite that he smiled at her happily. She had walked around the garden with Domé all day, but somehow being in the place with Domé felt wrong. It felt odd having someone else there with her instead, she viewed the garden as hers' and Loki's.

"My lady" he greeted her, bowing like he always did.

"Where have…oh my God what happened to your face?" her attention snapped to a nasty scratch on his right cheek, there was a drop of blood pouring from it and despite all the injuries she had seen before, she had still freaked out to see him hurt, she didn't like it at all.

"Oh this?" he touched his face and winced "It is nothing."

"Nothing? Loki you're bleeding and that cut looks nasty" she walked closer, inspecting and barely touching his injury with her fingers. He watched her moves like a hawk, enjoying the attention he was getting from her despite it not being the proper way to do so.

"I was training with my brother." he explained.

"He did this to you?"

"Yes, but you should see his own face. I punched him several times." he smiled and Natasha had to frown at how happy he looked.

"Yeah… I don't think I like this at all."

"Oh but it was mutual. It is part of our training as warriors."

"So you get to kick each other's senseless until one of you bleeds to death?"

He was still grinning, which disturbed her even more. He looked like he was happy at whatever she just said.

"Are you worried about me, My Lady?"

"What?"

"You look unhappy upon seeing my injured face, does me being injured frightens you?"

"No, it pisses me off that you could be so reckless and careless." she snapped, moving away from him "Now stay here so I can get something to clean up that wound."

"Do not worry, it will heal fast." he complained.

"Sit."

He took a seat on the bed, just like she ordered. She returned with a wet cloth and proceeded to clean the dry blood from his face. His eyes were on her again and her movements became slower and clumsy just by feelings his eyes watching her every move. Suddenly he pushed her hand away softly, taking the wet cloth from her hands. He held her hand between his. Her heart caught on her throat as he kissed each hand sweetly, his cold lips soft on her skin.

"You take care of me like no one ever did." he whispered and she had lost the word on how to respond to his statement. "I do not believe words are enough to express my gratitude."

"You…you don't have to thank me"

"I do," he spoke "I only wish to know how."

His eyes darted to her lips and she found herself doing the same. He licked his own and Natasha's heart pounded hard inside her chest. He was moving slowly towards her, they noses crashing together softly, his hands came to rest upon her cheeks and their lips met. It was definitely not like the first one they had shared, this was more passionate, more sensual. Their lips met hungrily, their tongues engaged in a battle for dominance.

Her body laid on the mattress, his lips never leaving her mouth, his body on top of her. He trailed kisses from her lips to her neck, licking the exposed skin just below her ear, making her moan loudly. She spread her legs, giving his body full room, feeling his need for her on her body. Her hips moved upward, desperate to feel him inside of her more than ever and he groaned loudly against her lips.

"God Loki…make love to me please…" she pleaded against his mouth, he nodded slowly, licking her lower lip sensually.

His hands fondled around her body, his lips kissing, licking and biting every inch of expose skin they could find. Her nails scratched his naked back at the sensation he was causing on her and the fire building in the pit of her stomach made her want to scream. Each of his thrust sent her over the edge, the words he whispered on her ear stuck like a tattoo on her brain.

She had lost count on how many times they had repeated word of adoration to one another, nor how many times they had let their bodies express their love, or how many kisses she had stole from his lips.

She only knew her heart had sought for love and she had founded it in his arms.

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

She had woken up a long time ago and just stared at the man lying beside her. He was sleeping peacefully, his mouth slightly ajar, looking like an innocent little boy. She couldn't help but reach towards his face, caressing his cheeks with her fingertips. He stirred, his eyes fluttered open and he stared at her in silence. She moved closer, their foreheads touching, her arms wrapped around his waist and he pulled her closer to his own body.

He sighed heavily, his cold breath crashing against her cheek. The sheets tangled around their bodies making them unable to move, not that they really wanted to.

"This has been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me." Loki whispered, stealing a kiss from her lips. The confession warmed her heart, like it had done many times before and she wished she could have something else to say or do something else other than simply sighing and smile, but she was speechless. "I wish I could stay here forever, with you, in this bed showing you how much I cherish you."

"Then lets' stay here" she whispered giving him a peek on the lips and moving impossibly closer to his body, her breast touching his naked chest.

"Yes we could, but I need a bath," he spoke against her lips "I stink."

"No you don't" she caressed his face again, her thumbs stopped at his lips and they were later replaced by her lips, licking and biting his lower lip "you smell of love making, passion and…me"

"In that case, I love this already" he moved his body to lie on top of hers again, kissing her neck and the soft spot behind her ear. Her legs wrapped around his waist, feeling his need for her against her body once again.

Her lips found his ear and before she could stop herself, she was whispering the words she had deprived herself from saying for a long time.

"I love you," she spoke, the kisses along her neck and shoulder stopped and she panicked thinking it had been a mistake to say them. Loki's head moved towards her, his eyes glued to hers, she could feel his heart beat on her own chest, matching the rhythm of her own. "I shouldn't have…"

His lips were on hers before she could speak any further, his hands roamed around her body, caressing every inch of her body and he moaned when her hips moved upward to touch his need.

"I love you…I love you so much." he whispered against her lip with each thrust, her nails scratching his back, as fire built in the pit of her stomach.

She forgot how many times they ended up like this, loving each other and not leaving the bed for hours. They were addicted to each other's touch, she was addicted to his hands travelling through her body and the feelings his lips were provoking in her.

* * *

She found herself enjoying every single moment with Loki, like newlyweds, they walked hand in hand, stole kisses when nobody was watching or sometimes he even pressed her against the wall from kissed her with all passion he could muster.

They sat on their favorite place whenever they had the time, whenever Loki wasn't somewhere training with Thor, or Natasha wasn't meeting with the new ladies of Asgard. Domé had told her it was the 'duty of a Princess' to share her experience with other ladies. She hated it, to be honest, because she wasn't the one to share her personal feelings with people she barely even knew.

So she sat in the garden, Loki's head rested on her lap, her fingers stroked his hair as his eyes drifted close slowly. She was taking pleasure in watching the rise and fall of his chest and how he held her hand tightly against his chest. She was also extremely confused at the change of events; almost a year ago she hated the man before her with a passion, wished with every fiber of her being for him to be dead or even suffering the world's worst pain. And now her heart beats for him, her lips longed to be kissed by him, she looked forward to every single night with him, arms wrapped possessively around each other.

"Are you thinking about me, my love." he whispered, eyes still closed, a smirk on his lips.

"As anyone ever told you how self absorb you are?" she says playfully and sighing as he bought her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

"Yes, several people actually," he got up from his spot, his head moving towards her until their lips meet in a passionate, breathtaking kiss. He broke apart slowly to whisper on sensually in her ear "I would love to make love to you right here on this same spot."

"Oh my God Loki!" she yelled, punching him on the shoulder playfully, ignoring how tempting the offer was and the heat suddenly building on her belly. "People are watching…"

They were indeed, being watched by a group of ladies who whispered to each other. Some of them were smiling; others had a disapproving look on their faces. He waved a hand at them and they grumbled and walk away, making Natasha laugh at their reaction.

"I do not believe there is something wrong on expressing our love for one another," Loki whispered to her. "Those ladies have no idea what love is. They do not know the feeling and need to state how much you love someone…like I do to you."

She smiled sweetly at him, kissing him hungrily and desperately.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" she whispered against his lips.

"Not since this morning, no," he lay back down, resting his head on her lap once again. "It would not hurt to hear the words again"

"I love you." she spoke softly, surprising herself at how easy the words came out of her mouth. He kissed her hand again, holding it closer to his chest.

"I love you too" he whispered before his eyes drifted close once more.

**TBC**


End file.
